1. The trap of loneliness
When the curtain slowly opens on the film, our eyes follow the camera and are brought into a dilapidated picture - the devastated broken walls, the wild grasses growing wantonly, and the whole environment presents a gray and desolate atmosphere.
In the very center of the ruins, a lonely figure stood silently, a middle-aged man, his clothes already very shabby, his face tired, and it was clear that his former wealth and glory were gone.
This man is the hero of our story, Virgil, a tycoon of a highly respected antiques auction house. His nose was cocked high, and behind his heavy glasses were a pair of hollow eyes, as if all life force had been wiped out of them.
Just a few months ago, he was making a name for himself in the industry, with luxury villas and countless precious antique collections, and living comfortably well.
However, fate gave him a heavy slap in the face at this time, and he fell heavily from the clouds to the miserable situation he is in today. Virgil looked around blankly, his eyes full of confusion and helplessness.
Just imagine, if he could go back a few months in time, I'm afraid he wouldn't have expected himself to suffer such a huge blow anyway. At that time, Virgil lived a 9-to-5 white-collar life, but his job was an antique appraiser with excellent connoisseurship.
The turning point of everything came from that sudden phone call. At the time, Virgil was engrossed in his office studying an antique when suddenly a strange female voice rang on the other end of the phone.
2. Unknown habits
Before falling into this whirlpool of fate, Virgil had always lived a luxurious and low-key lifestyle. As the head of a well-known auction house, he has an unusual love and keen appreciation for antique art.
Every time he held a work of art in his hand, Virgil's cold eyes instantly burst into flames. He carefully and respectfully observes every detail of this work, as if through it, he can gain insight into the inner world of the artist at the time of creation.
In his view, a work of art is not only an object for people to appreciate, but also a witness to a long history, carrying endless joys and sorrows in the world.
Perhaps due to his extreme obsession with art, Virgil is particularly out of place in real life. The middle-aged man's secrecy and alienation from human interactions became more pronounced, he was immersed in artistic treasures around the clock, and his arrogant and lonely personality was as untouchable as a thousand-year-old glacier, leaving him with few friends to rely on.
There is no trace of relatives and friends in his life, and the only thing that accompanies him is those cold and noble works of art.
However, on this very day, while Virgil was admiring a work of art in his office as usual, a sudden phone call completely broke his otherwise peaceful and orderly rhythm of life.
On the other end of the line came the charming voice of a young woman, who introduced herself in an emotional tone, saying that her family owned a collection of precious art treasures and hoped to obtain Virgil's professional opinion on the authenticity and value of these collections.
At first, Virgil's withdrawn and suspicious heart was wary of the seemingly untrustworthy woman. But as she began to describe the details of the collection, his interest was piqued, especially the mysterious provenance of one of the paintings.
So, Virgil decided to go to the woman's home for a field trip.
3. Unexpected visitors
"Hello, I am a keen art collector, my ancestors once left a number of extremely precious collections, I hope to get your professional appraisal."
In this way, a strange and pleasant female voice stirred up waves in Virgil's otherwise uneventful life. At first, the expert, who had a good reputation in the antiques industry, was wary and contemptuous of the uninvited guest's request.
However, when the mysterious woman, who claimed to be the heir to the artwork, began to elaborate on the specifics of the collection she had, Virgil could not help but be moved by it.
In particular, the ins and outs of one of the oil paintings made this connoisseur with a deep love for art fall in love with the confidence and calmness of the woman's voice, as if it was not groundless.
Virgil's curiosity swelled up in him, and he decided to find out for himself.
When he first met the young woman, Vijayal was fascinated by the elegance and mystery of her temperament. He was fascinated by her artistic excellence and her mystical qualities, and he couldn't help but feel a wave of admiration in his heart.
After that, after careful consideration, Vijayal resolutely decided to provide professional appraisal services for these so-called "ancestral treasures".
However, the mysterious woman's every move has always been shrouded in mystery, including her explanation of the provenance of these collections, which is full of numerous lies and loopholes.
Still, whenever Vijayal tries to dig deeper, she always gets the topic lightly touched on with clever humor.
In this complex emotion of love and hatred and constant suspicion, Vijayal gradually loses his self-judgment, and it is difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Fourth, the struggle between truth and falsehood
Initially, the young woman treated Vijayal with just the right amount of distance and etiquette. However, it was not long before she opened up and did not hesitate to show Vijayal the priceless art treasures.
As an expert in the industry, Vijayal naturally devotes himself to the process of appreciation. He carefully observes the material, craftsmanship, age and provenance of each piece with skill and concentration, as if this is what he has been doing for many years.
This time, however, the situation is very different. His heart was thrilling more than ever.
Because in this batch of so-called "ancestral treasures" there are many incredible details. Both in terms of technique and materials, these works exude a bewildering antiquity, clearly the work of a master artist.
After months of intense appraisal and rigorous argumentation, Vijayal finally came to a shocking conclusion: the collection was all genuine! Faced with this major discovery, he couldn't help but be enthusiastic about it, and his opinion of the mysterious woman also changed dramatically.
Since then, their relationship has grown closer. In the course of getting along day after day, Vijayal discovers that he has a special affection for this mysterious girl. Not only does she have outstanding artistic talent and a unique vision, but she also has an otherworldly charm that makes this introverted middle-aged man swoon.
As time passed, Virgil became deeply concerned about the woman's mysterious whereabouts, and developed an irrepressible curiosity about her and the secrets behind the precious works of art.
However, whenever he tried to delve into these issues, he was always lightly evaded.
In this entanglement of love and suspicion, Virgil is deeply confused, and the line between truth and falsehood becomes blurred. And it was during this critical period that the true face of the woman was finally revealed.
In order to get her hands on this priceless treasure, she did her best to devise and carry out this elaborate scam. From the initial flattery, to the later tenderness and sweetness for Virgil, to the exquisite artistic skills, these are all lies that she has carefully weaved.
This stunning comeback was a heavy blow for Virgil. He never imagined that he would be so easily deceived by this young liar and reduced to such a desolate situation.
All the beautiful illusions about true love are shattered in an instant at this moment, and the confidence and sharpness that once existed are gone. Chapter 5: The Destruction of Nothing
In this way, all the veils of truth are lifted once and for all. The orchestrated deception, the mysterious woman's haunting charm, and Virgil's obsession with her affectionate friendship all vanished.
In its place, it was a mess and desolation. Once-priceless art treasures have been relocated and the luxury furnishings of the villas have been looted. Even Virgil's artistic feelings, which he could not let go, were left with only a chilling void at this time.
Lost and helpless, he returned to the beginning of the story, in the devastated ruins. Beneath your feet are ruins, overhead are cloudy, and even the air you breathe is filled with the smell of decay.
In the past, he was at the helm of an antiques auction house and was admired and respected by his peers in the industry. Now, only the walking corpse remains, lying in the grassy place, allowing insects and ants to eat the flesh.
At this moment, Virgil's spiritual world also fell into an abyss of emptiness and self-doubt that he could not break free from. In the past, he was once extremely prominent in the palace of art, but now he seems to have become a conceited and selfish old man, like a once glorious deity, but now he is in tatters, which is embarrassing.
He began to question whether he really possessed the once-admired art appreciation and insight. In that orchestrated deception, he was so easily blinded that it led to such a tragic ending today.
In this absurd stream of self-doubt, Virgil is caught in a spiral of extreme pain and self-denial. The unique insight and keen intuition he once prided himself on in art can now be reduced to a merciless ridicule in his mind.